If a machine tool cuts, bends, stamps, prints, or forms parts for nine hours out of a ten-hour shift, with no stopping to check tools, clear chips, or add material (and assuming all the parts are
Data collection and machine monitoring can provide invaluable insight on production metrics, tool life, part quality, machine performance and, perhaps most intriguing, operator activities (or
Instead of taking parts out of the CNC for inspection, wouldn't it be cool to measure them inside the machine without stopping production or sacrificing positioning accuracy? This is the
When 3D-printed parts leave the build chamber, they often require secondary operations such as machining, support removal, polishing, heat treatment, etc. AM practitioners call this
The (almost) universal language of CNC machine tools. It uses commands like G00 (positioning mode), G01 (linear interpolation), G02 (clockwise circular interpolation), and so on, along with
The problem with metal AM is that parts need to be machined once they leave the build chamber. Hybrid manufacturing combines the two processes in a single machine, allowing the production of
AM legend has it that Stratasys founder Scott Crump invented fused deposition modeling at his kitchen table. It uses a spool of weedwacker-like plastic filament that is forced through a
An Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV) is essentially an automatic forklift that follows magnetic strips, wires, or lines painted on the floor to reach its destination.
Where a Virtual Reality (VR) headset displays an entire simulated world, Augmented Reality (AR) uses special glasses to overlay digital content.
If computers were human, they would use small bits of code called algorithms to determine the shortest route to work, decide what make for dinner, and whether they should invest